Visiting Teachers for children with long term ailments at hospitals
View(s):The education ministry will launch a program next year to provide visiting teachers to hospitals where children are undergoing long term medical treatment as well as visit homes of children who are unable to attend school due to a disability.
A survey conducted by the education ministry has found there are around 4,709 school age children who are undergoing long term medical treatment for conditions such as leukaemia and heart conditions as well as other genetic conditions that require long periods of hospitalisation.
“We want to ensure that the studies of these children are not jeopardised so we have decided to send the teachers to these hospitals once a week so that they can teach them the necessary subjects,” Director Non formal and Special Education, Ministry of Education, K.A.D. Punyadasa said.
He said these teachers have been given a special training. “In 2018 and 2019 we will conduct the program in all the teaching hospitals as well as the base hospitals,” Mr. Punyadasa said. “We hope to recognise the talents of these children and see in which subjects they excel. After that they will be given additional classes so they can improve their abilities,” he added.
The education ministry has also found there are children who are bedridden or have to move out of their home due to disabilities, numbering around 19,000. Of these children around 12,923 are unable to move out of their homes at all. Initially 2,000 children will be included in a pilot program under which classes will be conducted for them in their homes by the teachers who will visit,” he added.
In addition to studies, they will also be taught handwork and other activities that children in schools learn,” he added. “Our aim is to integrate the children into the schooling system as much as possible. But the visiting teachers will conduct classes for the benefit of those who cannot travel,” Mr. Punyadasa said.
By Damith Wickremasekera